Connectors

Modified on Tue, 21 Oct at 3:37 PM

Table of contents

Abstract
Why do we need a connector?
A connector in detail
Connector info
Schedule list
Host field list
User fields for host systems (CodeSets)
Conclusion

Abstract

A Connector is a definition of a specific location where a host system stores its data, including necessary authentication information to access the data. A connector will use an API to access planning data that is stored in a database or a file location to access planning data that is stored in a file. Connectors are managed by Setup users. Other users don’t have access to the details of the connectors.

A computer screen with a blue and white box

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Conceptual visualization of how a connector works: as the connection with the Host system’s database via an API

Why do we need a connector?

ILAP Data exchange needs to understand how to connect to the Host systems that planning data shall be received from and sent to within a transfer. By defining a connector for both the sender and receiver of data, ILAP exchange agreements enable a pathway from and to a specific location.

A connector in detail

Connectors are created and managed by Setup admin, therefore the following information is most relevant to these users. Connectors differ per Host system, but all of them contain the following: connector info, a schedule list and a Host field list.

Connector info

All connectors contain specific information. This is usually the following:

Connector info page of the connector

This section contains details about the connector:

Connector ID – Auto-generated unique identifier.
Connector Title – Name provided during creation.
Host System – System type (e.g., Safran, P6, ILAP Analytics, etc.).
Authentication Type – Method used to authenticate (e.g., Service Account Token, Azure AD).
Executing Component – Can be either Desktop Client or Autonomous Component.
Last Health Check – Shows the latest successful connection attempt timestamp.
Status Indicators: Connector health is visually displayed using traffic light indicators in the Connector Grid UI
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See: Status indicator section of Connector Grid Overview in IDE for more detail.
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Custom Request Header (Optional): Custom headers can be configured to be sent with API calls made by the connector. This is usually provided by your IT Admin when required.

Schedule list

In most cases, many schedules are stored within the connector. The schedule list offers an overview of all these schedules.

Schedule list page of the connector. Example above is from Safran.

This page shows all schedules fetched through the connector. Each schedule row contains:

Column	Description
Schedule ID	Unique ID of the schedule
Title	Name of the schedule
Start Date	Start date of the project/schedule
Finish Date	End date of the schedule
Last Updated	Timestamp of last modification
Code Set	User field configuration group

Note: P6 supports global Activity Codes, which makes one config reusable across many schedules.

Grid Features:

Sortable columns (click column headers)
Filter each column by value
Search schedules via keyword
Reset layout to default column widths

Host field list

The third and last page within the connector gives an overview of all host fields that are available in the connector. Some systems allow multiple definitions for use of host fields, these are referred to as Code set.

Host field list page of the connector

This tab lists the available planning object fields (host fields) that can be used in templates/configs.

Column	Description
Code Set	Same as above; user field grouping
Planning Object Type	Type of planning object (e.g., Activity, Resource, Schedule, etc.)
Host Field Name	Actual field name from the host system
Alias	Name used in the schedule to refer to the field
Data Type	Type of data stored: string, date, number, boolean, etc.

Grid Functionalities:

Sort – Click on column headers to sort data.
Filter – Filter fields by code set, object type, data type, etc.
Search – Quickly locate specific fields using the search bar.
Reset Layout – Reset the column layout to default

User fields for host systems (CodeSets)

It is a collection of custom fields (also known as user fields or activity codes) grouped together and retrieved from the schedules available via a connector. These fields are essential for data mapping and are used to define how planning objects (like activities or resources) are represented within your IDE configuration.

Conclusion

Connectors are the foundational building blocks that enable IDE to communicate with external planning systems. IDE Web application equips users with the tools to create and manage connectors reliably. Built-in features ensure easy navigation, accurate setup, and error-free data exchange across systems.

Read more about how to setup connector in details: